At a meeting between Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Chinese General Secretary and President Xi Jinping, the two sides pledged to “continue security and legal cooperation” to deal with the situation of fraud crimes.

Just before Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra's visit to China, Thailand announced that it would cut off the power supply to some areas on the border with Myanmar, a country in the midst of a civil war, to prevent the activities of these criminal groups.

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Gangs often set up scam camps on the border with Thailand to take advantage of the country's telecommunications infrastructure. Photo: Bangkok Post

Chinese tourists are an important part of Thailand’s tourism industry, but they are on a downward trend. By the end of 2024, the number of Chinese visitors to Thailand will only reach 6.7 million, down from 11 million in 2019 - the time before the Covid pandemic.

Recently, a Chinese actor was “kidnapped” while traveling in Thailand and was forcibly taken to a scam camp near the Myanmar border. On February 6, 61 people from scam centers on the Myanmar border were rescued and brought back to Thailand, including 34 Chinese.

The Golden Triangle region comprising Myanmar, Laos and Thailand has become a hub for online scams. Criminal gangs lure people into work with promises of lucrative salaries, then force them to commit online fraud.

Bloomberg commented that in Southeast Asia, cyber fraud rings worth billions of dollars are expanding rapidly, especially in Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar.

The ringleaders often hide in areas in Myanmar near the border, where they can take advantage of more stable electricity and telecommunications services from Thailand.

Thailand has also recently stepped up efforts to keep foreign tourists safe and launched an awareness campaign to prevent people from falling victim to scammers.

Last week, Congress passed new legal measures requiring banks, telecom operators and social media platforms to proactively prevent online fraud and also hold victims accountable for their financial losses.

The new regulations will come into effect after a revised royal decree is published, expected this month.

Sweet and deceitful: Inside Southeast Asia's 'fraud camps' Victims of the 'easy work, high salary' trap are now forced to become 'predators', carrying out online fraud in concentration camps across Southeast Asia.